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- Monero saw 60 orphaned blocks in 24 hours amid Qubic’s mining disruption.
- Experts are split on whether a true 51% attack has occurred.
- The conflict stems from an ongoing “economic attack” between the two networks.
The privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero (XMR) has suffered a significant disruption, with 60 mined blocks discarded in the past 24 hours, according to the Monero Consensus Status dashboard. The incident coincides with what appears to be an ongoing economic and selfish mining attack by the Qubic network.
Qubic miners are redirecting their computing power to mine Monero and sell the proceeds to buy and burn Qubic tokens while receiving payment in QUBIC. This strategy reportedly offers higher earnings than standard Monero mining, creating incentives for network disruption.
Is This a 51% Attack?
Concerns of a possible 51% attack have intensified after Qubic founder Sergey Ivancheglo claimed on X that “Qubic has achieved 51% over Monero.” A 51% attack occurs when a single entity controls more than half of a network’s hashrate, enabling them to censor or rewrite transactions.
The #Monero team found the mask the #Qubic pool had used to XOR shares with, and disabled Selfish Mining. Our next trick will be usage of Hash(height+secret) for gamming.
— Come-from-Beyond (@c___f___b) August 10, 2025
However, experts are divided. Zhong Chenming of SlowMist suggested the attack “seems to have succeeded,” while SeraiDEX lead developer Luke Parker argued the orphaned blocks could simply indicate an adversary with high hash power getting “lucky” rather than executing a full-scale takeover.
Current estimates from CoinWarz place Monero’s total hashrate at 5 GH/s, with Qubic’s reported peak at 3.01 GH/s — enough for temporary control but not necessarily sustained dominance.
A Crypto Hack War in Progress
The dispute between Qubic and Monero has escalated into a technical arms race. Ivancheglo claims Monero previously broke Qubic’s selfish mining system, prompting a fix, while accusing Monero mining software developer Sergei Chernykh of a DDoS attack — allegations Chernykh denies.
Also Read: Monero (XMR) Faces Correction Risk as Bubble Index Hits 1.27 Amid Market Caution
This conflict began in late July as an “economic attack,” where Qubic sought to control a majority of Monero’s hashrate through superior mining incentives. Legal experts suggest the actions could be considered “computer sabotage” under certain jurisdictions, though no explicit laws target 51% attacks.
While Monero remains operational, the surge in orphaned blocks and the Qubic conflict highlight the vulnerabilities even well-established privacy coins face. Whether this episode is a true 51% attack or an aggressive selfish mining campaign, it marks a dangerous moment in the ongoing battle for blockchain integrity.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of Chain Affairs. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. Chain Affairs is not responsible for any financial losses
I’m a crypto enthusiast with a background in finance. I’m fascinated by the potential of crypto to disrupt traditional financial systems. I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative projects in the space. I believe that crypto has the potential to create a more equitable and inclusive financial system.
